Method of making foot supports



June 13, 1933. J. H. sMrrH 1,914,049

METHOD OF MAKING FOOT SUPPORTS Filed NOV. 22, 1930 INVENTOR JAMES HENRY .SM/TH 5 EG' ma, @Ju/wmv ATTORNEY 25 substance Patented 1mois, i933 UNirED 4siATie-.s iArsNr .OFI-'ica :tunis namur sxrrn or Los menus. ummm ximian or mime roer :smears Applicationled November 38, 1080. lo. 491,458.

My invention relates to apparatus for taking foot impressions and making foot supports for the was made and also 1 of a erson residing far from the lace where the oot support is actually' ma e or when it is inconvenient for the person have foot supports made, to have a foot impression made quickly and accurately even though the patient is far removed from the place where the foot support is actually' made; third, to provide a 2novel, simple and economical means and method of taking foot impressions; fourth, to provide novel, simple and economical means and method of transporting the impression making substance, of preparing the for taking the impression and of reconveying the same to the lace where the foot support is to be made; c

novel, vsimple and economical means and method of transferring the foot impression 3 to a working mold and ultimately to the comp'leted foot support; and, sixth, to provide a novel means of taking a foot impression at a distanceand in which the means also' serves as a means for conveying information as to pains, corns, or other conditions or defects oflthe foot of which the impression is made, Aby locating and marking such information on the means in which the impressionis made.

40 With these and other objects in view, as

will appear hereinafter, I have devised an apparatus having certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, and a certain method 45 consisting of certain novel steps in accomplishing the result desired to be obtained, as will be hereinafter described in detail, and

particularly set forth in the appended claims,

reference being had to the accompanying 5 drawing and to the characters of reference foot from which the impression Y to a method of making. 5 the apparatus and the foot support.

desiring toy at the particular time; sec-4 5 ond, to provide an apparatus and method for v making lfoot impressions. easily,

, fth, to provide.

foot impression forming substance istrans-.Ul

ported; Fig. 2 is a top view thereof with the cover removed after the impression is made; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view thereof taken through 3-3 of Fig. 2, 'showing also a working mold forming plate in the bottom of the impression; Fig. 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale showing such plate before the same is formed in the bottom of the impression; Fig. 5 is a top view of the plate after being formed; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal lsectional view of the plate with the working mold molded thereon; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the working mold with the foot support positioned and being constructed thereon; Fig. 8 is anor-` mally upper side view of the footsupport in' one form when completed; and, Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the support taken throu h 9-9 of Fi 8.

l Like characters o reference re er to simiasv lar parts and portions throughout the views l size and shape slightly larger than the foot of a normal person. This carton with the powdered plaster ofParis substantially lling the carton, is mailed or otherwise delivered tothe patient with suitable instructionsto make the impression. The patient mixes water with the powdered plaster of Paris,

using the receptacle 1 as a mixing receptacle therefor. When the plaster of Paris is mixed thoroughly with water, the patient impresses his bare foot in a normal position into the massuntil the mass becomes partially 'set. The foot is then removed. The hardened plaster of Paris provides a very convenient means upon which to indicate or mark with a pencil or other means on the bottom of the impression the location corresponding to the ir making the foot impression 6 delivered in the same carton to the places on the foot where pains occur, or where corns'or other defects desiredv to be corrected are located. This' molded impression with such information is re-mailed or otherwise where the foot support is to be made. igure 1 illustrates such means before the 1mpression is made, and Figs. 2 and 3, the lower portion of the carton after the impression is I@ made. v f

f The foot impression is then transferred to the workin mold forming member. This member is i ustrated in .rough form in Eig. liand'consistsI preferably of a normally rigid plate 'of uniform thickness but one which may of Paris, the working mold, as shown in Fig.l

80' 6, the plate being indicated by the numeral t and the working mold b the numeral 5. The working mold is pre erably relatively thick so that the samewill not break readily.

The working mold is then reversed with. theA ositioned $5. side, formed against the plate t,

pon this upwardly, as shown in Fig. 7.

upper side is made the foot support, designated 6. This foot support may` consist of .a l bottom sheet' 6a of suitable fabric which is d@ laid directly upon the working mold. Upon this sheet may be laid a sheet ofleather 6b,

and upon the latter another sheet of fabric 6c.

A' These sheets are adhesively secured together.

At the high side of the instep may be provided an additional filler 6d', as shown in the enlarged view in Fig. 9. Thus, the support,

formed upon the Working mold 5, conforms substantially to the foot of the patient. The

. support thus fabricated forms a support for the `foot of the patient, but upon the upper side of the foot sup ort, which isthe inverted position from t at shown in Fig. 7, are

l secured pads 7, 8 and 9, or an other number of pads. `These pads are pre erably made of a soft felt and are of various shapes and thicknesses, depending upon the defects and deformities of the foot desired to be corrected, such defects or deformities being partially indicated by the markings on the foot im` o0 pression mold. Upon the pads are superimposed other pads, or other pads of di'erent shapes andl sizes are substituted therefore, from time to time as the treatment progresses.

. Tfthe patient is at a distance from the place to where the support is made, a pair of supports purpose. en this l the main foot portion ofthe im- 'miao 4with the original corrective pads are'sent the patient and other foot supports withnew and different pads are successively sent to the patient during the progress of the treatment. The impressions, aforementioned, are retained during the pro ess of the treatment, or subsequent impressions may be made as aforementioned. i j f Though I have shown andA described a articular apparatus and 'method of ma ing foot supports, I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction, combination and arrangement of parte and portions of m apparatus, and t e particular steps o' my method Ias herein described, but desire to include in the sco ofymy invention, the construction,- combination and arrangement vof parts and portions of my apparatus, and `my method, substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

A' aving thus described my invention, what T claim as new and desire to secure by Letters )Patent is: v

1. The herein vdescribed method of making foot, supports consisting in taking p a foot impression in a molding substance, then placing a soft and pliable, normally rigid, uniform thickness plate in and over the bottom of the impression and pressing the plate against the bottom of the impression for accurately conforming the plate thereto, then molding a Working mold against the upper vside of the plate, and then constructing a foot supportupon and in conformity with the shape of the surface of the workin .mold

formed by the upper surface of said p ate.

2. The herein described method of making foot supports consisting in placing the foot for which the support is to be made into a plastic, rapidly hardening mass with the ottoni of the foot in` said mass, then allow ing the mass to set, then removing the foot,

and then placing a soft and pliable, normally rigid, uniform thickness .plate in and over the bottom of the foot impression in the mass and uniformly pressing the sameagainst the bottom of the impression, then allowing said plate to harden, then removing said plate, then molding a working mold from a plastic substance upon and against the upper side of said formed plate, and then constructing the foot support upon and in conformity with the shape of the side of the working mold formed by said plate.

, In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 10th day of November, 1930- J i.: t S t NRY SMITH.

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